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H. J. LA JOIE.

PLAYER PIANO FOR PRODUCING SOLO EFFECTS.

APPLICATION FILED Nov, 27, I9Ie.

1 ,809,762. Patented JuIy 15, 1919.

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H. J. LA JOIE.

PLAYER PIANO FOR PRODUCING SOLO EFFECTS.

APPLICATION FlLED NOV, 27.1916. 1,309,762. A L Patented Ju1y15,1919.

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H. 1. LA 101,5. Y PLAYER PIANO FOR PRODUCING SOLO EFFECTS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27 1916.

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PLAYER FIANO FOR PRODUCING SOLO EFFECTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27 1916.

Patented July 15, 1919.

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HERBERT J. LA JOIE, 0F ORANGE,`NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AUTOPIANO COMPANY,

I A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

PLAYER-PIANO FOR PRODUCING SOLO EFFECTS.

'Specification' of Letters Patent.

Patented July 15, 1919.

Application led'November 27, 1916. Serial No. 133,565.

To all w/mm t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HERBERT J. LA JOIE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Grange, in the (bounty of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Player-Piano for Producing Solo Effects, of which the following `is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a. player piano with an accenting or solo attachment whereby the theme of a piece of music can be rendered; b y playing the solo notes louder than the accompaniment or other notes.l f

To accomplish this end, I connect the valves, preferably the secondary valves which control the power pneumatics which operate the actions of a player piano of any approved or standard construction to a series of compartments, and I connect each of said compartments through an always open delinitely restricted passage, and also through another opening preferably larger having a valve seat and a. controlling valve to the wind chest, preferably b v a. single wind trunk. These controlling valves are operated by pneumatics controlled from accent openings in the tracker bar. Normally these accent openingsy are covered by the note sheet, and the pneumatics and valves are arranged sothat the controlling valves normally will cover said seats so that the normal communication between saidcompartments and wind chest will vonly be through said restricted openings. While this arrangement will allow the same exhaust normally to exist in each of said compartments as exists in the wind chest, when a power pneumatic is called into operation the flow from the chamber will' necessarily have to take'place through the restricted opening. In other words, while the full exhaust normally will act when the power pneumatic starts in operation, a diminishing effect will -obtained when the only communication between the compartment and wind chest is through the restricted opening.

. By selecting the theme by properly cutting the note sheet, solo effects can be nicely obtained.r

The invention also consists of certain improved details and arrangements of construction whereby the invention can be economically applied, and whereby the solo mechanism can be thrown out of operation when it is desired to play the instrument with the ordinary note sheets which are not cut for accenting or solo effects. y

@ne application of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying four sheets of drawings in which- Figure 1f is a partial front elevation of a player piano with my invention applied thereto; Y

Fig. la is a small detail of one of the cutolf valves;

Fig. 2 isa top view of the spool box illustrating the valve mechanism for throwing the solo attachment into and out of operation;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the bottom of the sliding f valve Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the linea-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the sliding valve in a different position;

Fig. 6 is a plan View of a. portion of the controlling valve chest;

Fig. 7 is a front view of the parts shown in Fig. 6; l

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7, showing one of the accent controlling valves;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged section taken on the line 99 of Fig. l;

Fig. 10 is a front view of a portion ofthe secondary valve boX showing its divisions, and

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view 0f a music sheet', tracker bar, sliding valve, controlling valve chest, and the connections between the same.

Referring to the drawings and in detail, A designates the spool box in which is arranged the apertured tracker bar B over which the perforated note sheet C is drawn from a music spool or roll held in suitable bearings by the usual take-up roll. The playing apertures are connected by tubes 10 under diaphragms of the usual double primary valves 11. These valves are normally in their lowest positions so as to allow an exhaust trunk 12 te be normally connected through passages 13 to the right of the diaphragn'is of the usual double secondary valves 1l which control passages 15 leading into the series of power pneumatics 16, which are connected by suitable abst 'acts and pivoted levers to operate the wippens of the piano actions.'

These parts are arranged in any ordinary or preferred way, and as shown they are substantially the parts used in the wellknown autopiano illustrated for example in patent to Danquard, No. 766,601, patented August 2, 190i. By these parts the piano will be played from the perforated note sheet in the well-known manner.

My improvement or attachment to the above described arrangement is as follows. The wind trunk D employed for operating the power pneumatics is connected at its ends by pipes 17 and 18 to the wind chest. In the front of the wind trunk D are formed a number of small compartments 19. As many of these compartments are employed as desired, sixteen being used in the present adaptation of the invention, the three righthand and the three left-hand being connected to act together so that in effect there are twelve of such compartments. Each compartment 19 is connected to the wind trunk D by a small passage 2O (Fig. 8) which is restricted by the conical end of an adjusting or throttle screw 21. Each compartment 19 is also connected to the wind trunk D by another opening 22, preferably larger, which is controlled by a valve 23 normally pressed to close said opening by a spring 2l, and the stem of which valve is connected to a diaphragm 25 exposed to the tension in the wind trunk D, and covering a chamber or pocket 26. The pockets 26 are connected by tubes 27 and 28 (Fig. 9) to accent openc ings or apertures in the tracker bar. y

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated.l the ten middle tubes 27 are connected each to control a single valve 23, while each ext-reine right-hand and extreme left-hand tube 2T is connected by a channel 29 to control three of such valves, as illustratcd in Fig. 6. The valve chest which connects to the secondary valves 14 is divided' by partitions 30, as illustrated in Fig. 10, into a number of compartments to co-act with the compartments 19. In the particular division shown there are eleven of these partitions arranged diagonally so that the space between said partitions will be divided into ten compartments 31, each connected to a group of three secondary valves 1l, while the compartment 32 at the right of said partitions will connect to twentyeight of such valves, and the compartment 33 at the left of said partitions will connect to twenty-six of the secondary valves, as I prefer to use only eighty-four power pneumatics.

The compartments 31 are connected by passage-ways 3l to the compartments 19 while the right and left-hand compartments 32 and 33 are each connected by three of such passage-ways 34 to the three righthand and three left-hand compartments 19.

vThe compartments 19 and 31, 32 and 33 are thus practically co-extensive. By this arrangement each of the ten middle valves 2:3 will control the playing of three power pneumatics. The three right-hand valves 23, which operate synchronously by reason of the right-hand passage 29, will control the playing of the upper twenty-eight of the power pneumatics, and the three left-hand valves 2", which operate synchronously by reason of the left-hand cross channel 29 will control the playing of the lower twenty-six power pneumatics. This division of the instrument and the application of these parts is very easily made without disturbing the ordinary arrangement, as the power pneumatics are arranged in three banks.

The tracker arrangement is shown in diagram in Fig. l1. The tracker bar has the usual perforations, the guide openings, and the loud pedal opening. Five accent openings 35 are arranged at the left of the tracker arranged two to the left and three to the right of the loud pedal perforation; and seven accent openings 35 are arranged at the right. This can be easily done by cutting down the number of power pneum'atics and actions played automatically from the usual eighty-eight to eighty-four, that is, taking off two at each end. In cutting the note sheet, the accent controlling perforations 35a are set slightly in advance of the playing openings 36.

By the arrangement before described solo effects can be obtained by having the theme of a piece of music played louder than the accompaniment or other notes. The major part of the theme usually comes within the thirty notes controlled by the ten middle valves 23. Each of these valves 23 controls a small unit of three power pneumatics. It is very rare that a note is played with the note above or below the same, and by this division of the parts the theme can be easily selected.

for connection "to the"po'werpneumatics is' provided which 'is alwa'ysconnected tothe series of compartments through always open' definitely" restricted passages, and also through the large -openings f which have the controlling valves 23.' By this arrangement the samelv pressure'normally exists in each of said compartments as' exists in the wind trunk but when a power pneumatic is called into operation the flow will necessarily have to, take place through `a'restri'cted opening 20. The full'exhaust tension normally existing infany one of said -compartment-'s acts to start the'v power 'pneumatic into operation, but asy the flow from the" con'ipartment into the wind trunk is restrieteda diminishing pressure will be appliedto the; ywer pneumatics, and thus a diminishing low will be obtainedv relatively to 'theunrestricted action if the valve 23 were open.AV 4 f lVhen'anaccentv perforation in the note sheet opensany particularv controlling valve 23 there Aare practica'lly` twdpassages between the respective compartment andithe' i wind trunk, one the restricted passage before referred to, and the other the large passage through the valve seat, so that when this condition exists the power pneumatic will be operated for its entire movement with the full exhaust pressure, which will give a strong action and loud note as compared with the diminishing action and softer notel obtained when the only communication from the compartment to the wind trunk is through the restricted opening. Thus, in accent playing, the notes are normally played with the restricted or diminishiug action but the solo or thematic notes are played with full exhaust.

The following arrangement is provided so that the instrument can be played with the ordinary note sheets which are not cut for solo or accenting effects. The tubes 27 are connected to a valve board or block 37 secured to the back of the spool box, and the tubes 28 which are flexible are secured to a sliding valve 38 which is fitted to slide on the valve board 37, and which is pressed in contact therewith by a bow spring 39 arranged under a screw 40. The valve 38 also has a series of holes 41 cut therein. The sliding Vvalve 38 can be operated by a link 42, lever 43, and handle 44. For accent playing the handle 44 is pushed to the left which will push the valve 38 to the right and will connect the tubes 27 and 28, as shown in Fig. 4. When the instrument is to bc played without the accenting effect, the handle 44- is pulled to the right which will draw the valve 38 to the left which will connect the tubes 27 to the atmosphere through the'holes 41. This will let the atmosphere in behind the diaphragms of the valves`23 which thus will be opened, whereby the wind trunk D will be freely connected to all the compartments connecting tothe secondary valves, whereby the power pneumatics will be played with full exhaust pressure.

As two pipes 17 and 18 are used to conuect the wind trunk D'with the wind chest, two cut-ofi valves 45-45 are employed and are connected by links 4G-46, lever 47, and link 48 to, the reroll lever. It is desirable to use these two connections 17 and 18 to the wind trunk D as the same will provide for a quick flow from either end of the secondary valve chest. By these arrangements the solo effects before described can be easily obtained.

The particular vdivisions before recited, while not necessary to the invention, are desirable and are the best now known to me for putting the invention into practice. The ten central compartments, each controllingl three power pneumatics as before described, allow for any easy selection of thel main part'of the theme, while if the theme runs' above and below this the compartments 32 and 33, each connected to the wind trunk through three valves 23, allow for the other theme or loud notes, and for loud bass or treble effects. This construction is also especially applicable to the instrument before mentioned because the power pneumatics thereof are arranged in three banks.

The details and arrangements herein shown and described may be greatly varied by a skilled mechanic without departing from the scope of my invention as expressed in the claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to obtain by Letters Patent isl. In a player piano, the combination of the actions, a series of power pneumatics and valves for operating the same, a. tracker bar, a series of compartments each connected to a group of three valves for the interme-y diate power' pneumatics, two compartments connected to two groups of a larger number of the valves for the power pneumatics above and below the groups of three valves, a wind trunk, a restricted opening from each of said compartments to said Wind trunk, a large opening between each of said compartments and wind trunk, valves for controlling said large openings, pneumatics for operating said valves, and accent openings in the tracker bar for controlling the action of said pneumatics.

2. In a player piano, the combination of the actions, a series of power pneumatics and valves for operating the same, a tracker bar, a series of compartments each connected to a group of three valves for the intermediate power pneumatics, two additional compartments connected to control a larger number of the valves for the power pneumatics above and below the groups of intermediate valves, a wind trunk, a restricted opening from each of said compartments to said wind trunk, a large opening between each of said compartments and said wind trunk, there being a plurality of such openings between each additional compartment and said wind trunk, valves for controlling said openings, all of the valves controlling the openings to an additional compartment being connected to operate together, pneumatics for operating said valvesI` and accent openings in the tracker bar for controlling the action of said pneumatics.

3. In a player piano, the combination of the actions, a series of power pneumatics and valves for operating the same, the tracker bar, a series of compartments each connected to a group of the valves for the power pneumatics, a wind trunk, a restricted opening from each of said compartments to the wind trunk, means for adjust- Copies o! this patent may be obtained for ing the restriction of said opening, a large opening between each of said compartments and wind trunk, valves for controlling said large openings, pneumatics for operating said valves, and accent openings in the tracker bar for controlling the action of said pneumatics.

4. In a player piano, the combination o the actions, a series of power pneumatics and valves for operating the same, a series of compartments each connected to a group of the valves for the power pneumatics, a wind trunk, a wind chest, connections from the wind chest to eachk end of the wind trunk, a restricted opening from each of said compartments to said windv trunk7 a large opening between each of said compartments and wind trunk, valves for controlling said large openings, pneumatics for operating said valves, and accent openings in the tracker bar for controlling the action of said pneumatica In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

HERBERT J. LA JOIE.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatentl, Washington, D. C. 

